Ric Flair Declares War On WWE Over 'The Man,' You Need To Pay Me!!!

Ric Flair believes the WWE is ripping him off -- using the phrase The Man without his permission ... and now he's threatening legal action.

Flair says he's been referring to himself as The Man since 1981 -- and even holds the trademark for his famous catchphrase, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man."

The problem ... one of WWE's biggest stars -- Becky Lynch -- has been referring to herself as The Man over the past year and the nickname has become a huge hit with fans.

Ric tells TMZ Sports ... he was trying to work out an amicable, private agreement with WWE where they would pay him to allow Becky to continue to use the name, but WWE blew him off.

In fact, Ric says he escalated the situation to WWE executive, Triple H ... but they still couldn't reach an agreement. So, on August 26, he filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to own the term, The Man, specifically as it relates to pro wrestling.